Solar activity drives space weather that can impact Earth by disrupting power grids, communication networks and other technologies. The Inouye Solar Telescope will take high-resolution images and make measurements of the magnetic fields of solar phenomena including sunspots, solar flares and coronal mass ejections. The telescope’s operational phase is a long-awaited accomplishment, after an 18-month delay caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic. Hailed as the “crowning achievement” for ground-based solar astronomy, the Inouye Solar Telescope utilizes the next generation of solar observing instruments capable of capturing images of the sun in unprecedented detail.

Inouye Solar Telescope is a modern technological marvel, named in honor of late Senator Inouye, an American hero and leader dedicated to scientific research and discovery.”

“We are proud to bring the world’s largest and most powerful solar telescope online,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. The telescope is by far the world’s most powerful solar telescope, and stands atop Maui’s majestic 10,000-foot summit.įavorable atmospheric conditions atop the summit make this the best site, as proven by the National Solar Observatory ( NSO) and the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy ( IfA) during a worldwide survey. Inouye Solar Telescope (Inouye Solar Telescope) on Haleakalā conducted its first science observations on February 24-the start of a year-long operations commissioning phase. (Image credit: NSO/ AURA/ NSF)Ī new era of solar science commenced when the National Science Foundation’s ( NSF’s) Daniel K. Image of a sunspot taken by the Inouye Solar Telescope reveals striking details of its structure as seen at the Sun’s surface.

New hawaii telescope